IPL 2027 Auction to be held in India
The event was last staged at home in December 2022 with subsequent auctions held at Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi
The BCCI has decided to hold the IPL 2027 auction in India, bucking the recent trend of staging the event overseas. The decision was among the key takeaways from the IPL Governing Council meeting held on Tuesday (September 15).
After the 2023 auction in Kochi, the event has been staged overseas in recent years, with Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi hosting the subsequent editions. This time, however, the BCCI/IPL has opted to bring the auction back to India, with the event being a mini-auction. The mega auction next year could again be held overseas, sources in the know have told Cricbuzz.
The decision is also in line with the assurances given to the franchises, who had expressed reservations over the logistical and operational challenges of taking their delegations overseas for a mini-auction. The BCCI members are believed to have considered their views during last year’s auction in Abu Dhabi. Accordingly, the GC decided to explore an Indian city as the venue for this year’s auction.
The venue, as usual, will be decided based on the availability of accommodation for the franchises and their delegations. The GC has taken into account the fact that it is the wedding season in India from October to December, and the choice of city will be decided depending on the availability of five-star hotels during that period. The BCCI requires more than 100 rooms for a couple of nights for the purpose.
Another GC meeting to decide on Impact Player future
Meanwhile, the Governing Council left the decision on the Impact Player rule open-ended. Another GC meeting will be convened in a month, when a final decision on the rule is expected to be taken. Cricbuzz reported on August 30 that BCCI sought views on the Impact Player rule.
The franchises, most of whom, it is understood, are opposed to the rule, feel that it may be persisted with for one more year, if not longer. Some teams have also argued that, whether appropriate or not, they formed their squads keeping the rule in mind. Their view is that any decision to dispense with it would be best left until next year.
